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Geek Culture
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Predator: Killer of Killers
There's no denying how much of an impact the Predator franchise has left on the monster movie genre, evolving from its humble beginnings in 1987 with a relatively straightforward, almost slasher movie-like premise, to a massively successful series of films spanning time, space and even crossing over to another franchise, pitting man against monster across Earth and beyond. Still, there was a space that even the titular apex hunter had yet to conquer – the animated one – or at least until now, as the franchise's latest outing, Predator: Killer of Killers , not only aims to break new ground in the field of animated films, but to also bundle three stories into one with its ambitious anthology format, featuring different Predators on the hunt across three periods of human history. But as with its predecessors, it's the humans and not the alien hunters who continue to take centre stage, as the ugly creatures remain mostly cloaked and in the shadows across the film's three short story segments: The Shield sees a Viking raiding party led by Ursa and her son Anders taking revenge on an opposing faction led by Zorun, a brutal warlord responsible for the death of the shield-maiden's father; The Sword focuses on a pair of brothers in feudal Japan forced to go against each other after a childhood betrayal; and The Bullet, which follows an aspiring pilot during World War II as his squadron encounters something in the sky far deadlier than the German Luftwaffe. Despite literally being in the title of the show and placed front and centre in promotional material, each Predator variant across the three chapters is mostly left on the sidelines, delegated until the closing minutes of its associated story for the big reveal and final showdown. Granted, the little screentime given to each hunter is certainly impactful, as not only do each Predator look intimidating in their own right, but each also fits nicely into their respective timelines. Take the Vikings' Predator, for example, a massive, muscle-bound brute that leaves viewers questioning how it could have even kept to the shadows in the first place, decked out in appropriately low-tech weaponry (for a Predator, at least), armed with a single hand-cranked shockwave device in place of its missing right arm. There is still advanced equipment used by the creature, but the story focuses more on the ancient fight, as the Viking age brings the franchise the furthest back the series has gone, since its 1719 setting in 2022's Prey . This same level of culturally appropriate detail extends to the two other hunters as well, with the Japan-era Predator equipped with all the stealth-centric tools fitting of a ninja during the time period, or the technologically advanced spaceship which stalks the skies of World War II, leading to an intense chapter set almost exclusively in the air. That being said, with the majority of each chapter focuses on the story of human conflict, the film ultimately falls victim to its own ambitions, as by cramming three stories into a short 90-minute runtime, the speedy pace of each means that there simply isn't enough time for audiences to develop any sort of emotional attachment to the newly introduced characters. To put it another way, it's tough to truly grasp the Viking Ursa's pain and anger when the backstory of her father's death lasts no longer than five minutes, or the sting of a brother's betrayal when their shared relationship is only depicted on-screen via a short montage. Frankly, the movie would have benefited more if it had been spread across more fleshed-out episodes as a miniseries instead. Granted, when the action does kick in, it's truly a sight to behold, with decapitations, dismemberments, and disembowelment alike as the Predator makes quick and gory work of almost all who stand in its way, supplemented by a fluid stepped animation style similar to that seen in the recent Spider-verse films from Sony's Spider-Man series. Still, it's simultaneously satisfying yet disappointing to see what is supposedly the world's greatest hunters get outsmarted by a bunch of mere humans, although, as the film's title so aptly puts it, it takes a killer to kill a killer. Yet, amidst all the glorious animated bloodshed occurring on screen, one can't help but wonder how much more epic the action would look if the film were made in live-action instead. As impressive as the film's animated scenes are, it can't emulate the same visceral feel of seeing actual blood and guts (or at least, CGI-ed ones) pouring out of an unfortunate soul as they scream in agony. And for a franchise so rooted in graphic violence, the shift to animation, while offering a new perspective, does unfortunately present a step down in terms of its thrill-factor. Despite its missteps and missed opportunities, it's still heartening to see an almost 40-year-old franchise continuing to take risks to freshen up the monster movie formula. With its comparatively 'family-friendlier' visual style that's more accessible while still retaining on-brand amounts of violence, along with some interesting nods along the way to other shows in the franchise, Predator: Killer of Killers serves as a commendable starting point for those looking to dip their toes into the franchise, while still offering something refreshing for long time series veterans, just don't expect its move to animation to blow anyone's minds, well, apart from some of the unfortunate on-screen victims. So what's the point of this film? Aside from bringing audiences a closer look at the various Predators across time, look out for a blink and you'll miss it cameo from a franchise favourite character. Given Trachtenberg's larger involvement in the franchise, with his live-action Predator: Badlands out later this year, this could jolly well be his attempt at bringing back a prey he has an affinity for. Summary Predator: Killer of Killers pits man against monster in the yet-to-be-conquered animation space, and while there are no true winners, the film itself included, it's always something special when a franchise chooses to break convention and try something new, no matter the success of the final result. Story - 7/10 Direction - 7.5/10 Characterisation - 6.5/10 Geek Satisfaction - 7/10 Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Disney+ Predator Predator Killer of Killers Review
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
105 Adorable Swedish Names for Boys and Girls
Choosing a baby name is tough. There are so many good names out there! How can you possibly make a decision that's perfect for you and your little bundle?! When you're considering names, definitely don't overlook one option that's full of traditional appeal: Swedish names! There's nothing wrong with going with a trending option, but you could also choose something slightly more unique. Why not give your new little one a name with centuries of history and Scandinavian magic?Bundle up and get ready to trek up north with our list of 105 Swedish baby names for girls and boys that are just as full of charm and wonder as Sweden itself. After all, your child deserves to have a name that's idyllic, breathtaking and serene. Related: 1. Anders — The Scandinavian form of Andrew, meaning 'manly'2. Blomma – Swedish for 'flower'3. Greta — 'Pearl'4. Hanna — 'Gracious' 5. Himla – 'Heaven; sky'6. Lin – The Swedish word for 'flax'7. Linnea – Meaning "lime tree" or "linden tree"8. Olga — 'Holy' or 'blessed' 9. Stellan — 'Calm' or 'peaceful'10. Sture — 'Cross, proud'11. Suzanna — 'Lily'12. Sven — 'Boy'13. Thecla — 'Glory of God'14. Vilde – from the Swedish for 'wild, untamed' 15. Anna — 'Grace' or 'favor'16. Augusta — 'Majestic' or 'venerable'17. Birgit — 'Exalted' or 'noble. '18. Brita — 'Strength' or 'exalted one,' a Swedish form of Bridget19. Charlotta — 'Free woman,' a feminine variant of Charles20. Dagmar — A combination of 'day' and 'maid. '21. Edda — 'Great-grandmother. '22. Elise — 'God is my oath'23. Eva — 'Life' or 'living one'24. Gerda — 'Enclosure. '25. Gudrun — 'God's wisdom. '26. Gull – from Swedish for 'gold'27. Gunilla — 'Battle maiden'28. Helga — 'Holy' or 'blessed'29. Hilda — 'Battle woman'30. Ingrid — 'Ing is beautiful' (Ing being an old Germanic god)31. Irma — 'Universal or whole'32. Josefine — 'God will increase'33. Julia — 'Youthful'34. Karin — 'Pure,' a Swedish form of Katherine35. Kristina — 'Follower of Christ'36. Lena — 'Light' or 'torch,' a variant of Helena37. Lia — 'Weary' or 'delicate'38. Liv – The Swedish word 'life'39. Lo – The Swedish word 'lynx'40. Maj – Swedish for 'May,' the month41. Maja — 'Pearl' or 'mother'42. Majvor – a combination of 'May' and 'spring'43. Malena — 'Woman of Magdala'44. Malin — 'High tower' or 'woman,' Swedish variant of Magdalene45. Malva – from Swedish for 'mallow'46. Månstråle – From the Swedish for 'moonbeam' 47. Margita — 'Pearl'48. Marianne — Blend of Maria and Anne, 'bitter grace.'49. Marie — 'Bitter' or 'beloved'50. Märta — 'Lady' or 'mistress'51. Maud — 'Powerful in battle'52. Moa – Swedish feminine name meaning 'mother' 53. Naemi — 'Pleasant' or 'delightful'54. Noomi — 'Pleasant' or 'delightful'55. Pernilla — 'Rock' or 'stone'56. Pia — 'Pious' or 'devout'57. Pippilotta — The full first name of Pippi Longstocking, from the books by Astrid Lindgren58. Saga – from the Swedish word saga, meaning a story or fairy tale59. Sanna — 'Lily,' a variant of Suzanna60. Stina — 'Follower of Christ,' a short form of Kristina61. Sussie — 'Lily,' a diminutive of Suzanna62. Tindra – modern Swedish name meaning 'to twinkle, to sparkle'63. Tove — 'Dove"64. Tuva — 'Thor's peace' or 'strength'65. Ulla — 'Will' or 'determination'66. Vilja – from the Swedish for 'will, wish'67. Zara — 'Princess' or 'blooming flower'Related: 68. Anders — 'Manly'69. Axel — 'Father of peace'70. Bengt — 'Blessed'71. Bertil — 'Bright' or 'famous'72. Björn — 'Bear"73. Börje — 'Helper' or 'protector'74. Brasse — 'Brother'75. Edvin — 'Wealthy friend'76. Emil — 'Rival' or 'eager'77. Erland — 'Foreigner"78. Ernst — 'Serious' or 'earnest'Related: 79. Filip — 'Lover of horses'80. Gösta — 'Staff of the gods'81. Gunnar — 'Warrior"82. Hans — 'God is gracious'83. Henrik — 'Home ruler'84. Herman — 'Army man' or 'warrior'85. Jan — 'God is gracious'86. Jarl — 'Chieftain'87. Johannes — 'God is gracious'88. Jörgen — 'Farmer' or 'earthworker'89. Kent — 'Edge' or 'border'90. Kim — 'Warrior chief'91. Kjell — 'Kettle' or 'helmet'92. Knut — 'Knot'93. Lars — 'Crowned with laurel'94. Lasse — Variant of Lars95. Leif — 'Heir' or 'descendant'96. Matti — 'Gift of God'97. Morgan — 'Sea-born'98. Nils — 'People's victory'99. Per — 'Rock'100. Rolf — 'Famous wolf'101. Tage — 'Taken' or 'captured'102. Torgny — 'Thunder noise'103. Valdemar — 'Famous ruler'104. Valter — 'Army ruler'105. Wiktor — 'Conqueror' Up Next:105 Adorable Swedish Names for Boys and Girls first appeared on Parade on May 25, 2025
CNA
23-05-2025
- CNA
Must-see: CNA's 3-part series inside the drug trade, on the frontline of a global war
*Names have been changed. GOTHENBURG/ANTWERP/BANGKOK: Wearing his hoodie, sunglasses and a mask, the drug dealer sat motionless on an icy park bench, ready to confess the cold truth of his trade. 'I've been close to death a couple of times,' said *Anders, who has been selling drugs since he was 14. 'It's nothing glamorous like a lot of people think. It's a tough life. You never sleep. You're never safe.' He slowly unwrapped a crinkly plastic bag, revealing an unmistakable white lump. 'The purest cocaine you'll find in Gothenburg right now,' he said. 'This is about 20 or 25 grammes. And this one I'll sell for around 15,000 Swedish krona (US$1,560).' In his gang, new recruits are getting younger, some as young as 12, lured by the prospect of quick cash, he said. 'They're like my little brothers. And we're loyal to each other, so if I tell them to go and shoot someone, they'll do it.' Sweden is battling a wave of drug-related gang violence. Already, the country witnessed 33 bombings in January. And the number of murder case suspects aged below 15 surged by 200 per cent last year compared to 2023. Drug abuse is also rising, not only in Sweden but globally. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that 292 million people used drugs in 2022, an increase of 20 per cent over a decade. Some 64 million people were suffering from drug use disorders, with only one in 11 in treatment. The World Health Organization estimated that about 600,000 people died worldwide from drug overdose in 2019. What is behind this drug addiction crisis? CNA traverses the front lines of various countries to investigate the world of illicit substances in Addicted. This three-part documentary series offers a rare, unfiltered look at the global production, trafficking and consumption of traditional and synthetic drugs. It also looks at the impact of legalising drugs on young people and communities, and how authorities and activists are fighting back against the rise in drug-related violence and crime. Here are three things that will grab you as it premieres tonight on air and on CNA Insider's YouTube channel: 1. SEE THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE Deep in the lawless, cartel-run jungles of Colombia, where 60 per cent of the world's coca was grown in 2023 — the plant used to make cocaine — CNA managed to gain access to a coca farmer following elaborate negotiations. In front of the cameras, but hidden in a makeshift shed, *Carlos demonstrated how he made coca paste, the main ingredient in cocaine. Shredding coca leaves with a scythe before dumping them into chemical-filled plastic barrels, he then added petrol to 'wash' the mixture thrice, stirred in sulfuric acid and sieved the sludge through cloth. Fumes rose thick and acrid as he cooked the brew over an open flame. What was left was a yellowish oil that solidified into a paste. 'One gramme of this paste can sell for 2,000 pesos (US$0.50). We call this base cocaine,' he said. For farmers like him, life is never safe. Armed guerrillas rule the area he lives in, and residents are not allowed to leave home after 7pm. 'We can be attacked from the air by helicopters, (or) on the ground by coca eradication teams, army and narcotics police,' he said. Six decades of conflict, fuelled by the cocaine trade, has displaced eight million people and claimed at least 450,000 lives in his country. But making cocaine 'is the only thing that's generating employment for us', he added. 'We farmers don't have another alternative because we've been abandoned by the government.' While cocaine originates from South America, its destination is often half a world away. In Belgium, the Port of Antwerp has developed a reputation as Europe's cocaine-import capital. 'The most common modus operandi that's still being used to traffic drugs is what we call the 'rip-on/rip-off,'' said Bob van den Berghe, deputy head of UNODC's passenger and cargo border team. This refers to criminal organisations in source countries hiding drugs in shipping containers, which are recovered later by insiders in destination nations, such as port workers. It is not easy to keep this under control, according to Kristian Vanderwaeren, administrator-general of Belgian customs. '(By) giving (the criminals) information about where a container is put, you can earn 50,000 euros,' he cited. Smugglers are also becoming more sophisticated, concealing cocaine in legal goods such as avocados, bananas and coffee as well as timber and textiles. In 2023, Belgian officials seized 121 tonnes of cocaine. But such concealment methods make it 'very complicated to detect' the drug nowadays, said van den Berghe. Smugglers will even dissolve cocaine in water and put it on clothes, said Anders the Swedish drug dealer. 'Then you have, like, a paste, and you dry it.' 2. WITNESS THE IMPACT OF DECRIMINALISATION In Thailand, the young are also being lured — with the unrestricted sale of cannabis. The first time *Dao tried the drug, she was around 13 or 14. 'My senior invited me to try cannabis cookies,' the 15-year-old student recounted. 'After that I felt nauseous, and I threw up. I had a very bad headache.' Thailand legalised recreational marijuana use in 2022. That year, the percentage of cannabis users aged 18 to 19 increased tenfold to 20 per cent, said Rasmon Kalayasiri, an associate professor of psychiatry at Chulalongkorn University. 'The danger is that edible cannabis comes in the form of snacks, like brownies or jelly, which don't look scary or dangerous (and) which make people eat more,' said Prani Paveenchana, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Bangkok. 'It's incredibly easy to buy,' added Yosakorn Khunpakdee, coordinator of the Youth Network Against Cannabis. 'Do they check the buyer's age? No.' Another student, 16-year-old *Kiet, recounted how trying cannabis last year affected him. 'I came to school just to nap. I was in a daze, dull and drowsy,' he said. 'I looked shabby and thin. … My (academic) performance was bad. My memory was impaired.' Thailand is currently tightening control of marijuana use, with a fresh plan to require medical certificates for buying cannabis. Three years after decriminalisation, the impact has been felt not just among the young. 'Some tourists have consumed too much cannabis, causing them to lose control, sometimes leading to suicides,' said Paisan Limstit, a committee member at Thammasat University's Health Laws and Ethics Centre. 'There have been several cases of Thai people committing suicide too.' Over in Canada, there is a fentanyl crisis. The synthetic drug, 100 times stronger than morphine, was behind three in four opioid-related overdose deaths last year. Between January 2016 and last September, there were almost 51,000 apparent opioid deaths, mostly involving fentanyl. 'What started happening was, states on the US side started legalising medical marijuana,' said crime reporter Kim Bolan. 'Suddenly, black market cannabis wasn't as much of a (lucrative) product … (so criminals) started making synthetic drugs.' To encourage addicts to seek treatment, the province of British Columbia launched a pilot in 2023 that permitted the possession of small amounts of hard drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, for personal use in specific locations. 'What ended up happening was that a significant number of people taking those drugs were using them as a currency on the street and trading them for deadly fentanyl anyway,' said Elenore Sturko, a British Columbian legislative assembly member. In the year that followed decriminalisation, opioid-related deaths also rose by nearly 5 per cent. Last April, British Columbia's premier reversed the decriminalisation pilot in public spaces, citing the need to 'keep people safe' and stop public disorder. 3. MEET THE PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON THE GROUND In Karachi, Pakistan, a mix of religion and going cold turkey is the treatment strategy for recovering addicts in a sparse facility. As they huddled on the floor of Detox Ward (B), they turned their palms upwards in prayer. 'We harness their willpower to keep them going through the detox phase,' said Umair Ansari, the manager of Sunshine Rehabilitation Welfare Centre. The centre's conditions are grim, but these patients are the lucky ones. Drug addiction treatment is available to fewer than 30,000 drug users a year, in a country with 6.7 million drug users who consume narcotics like cannabis and meth. 'The happiness we used to get after an hour of taking drugs, now we feel that happiness for 24 hours,' said one recovering addict. 'Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah), we now have everything.' Over in Saraburi, central Thailand, the Wat Thamkrabok Temple is battling the country's drug abuse crisis with its ancient Buddhist methods. Nearly three million individuals or approximately 4.6 percent of Thailand's population are synthetic drug users. Over 95 percent of these drug addicts are between 15 to 59 years old, the prime working age. 'The first five days (here) are a battle against the lingering toxins in their body. And against their memories and emotions,' said Phra Ajahn Vichit Akkajitto, the temple's vice abbot. New inductees line up against a long drain before downing a potent herbal shot. Almost instantly, they double over while retching, as others cheer them on. 'This is Hua Ya Bamrung, (a herb plant) essential for detoxification and recovery,' said Akkajitto. 'As drugs are consumed, alkaloids and other toxins accumulate in the body. This process helps flush them out daily.' Patients here also sweat out more toxins in herbal steam rooms and spend their days exercising and meditating under the monks' guidance. One unexpected face among the recovering addicts is Elena, a Russian ex-meth user who has been here for two months. 'I lost my husband. I lost my family,' she said. 'And I came to a point where probably I (would) either die or just do something drastic.' 'I was lucky that my friends brought me here,' she added. 'You have to understand, … we're unwell people. And then eventually, gradually, you see how people start getting better.' Last but not least, CNA got to see how those in Singapore who were once caught up in drugs are trying to help others avoid the same fate. Former drug addict Andrew Ong, co-founder of Break the Cycle, is one such individual. 'We ride (bicycles) to break the cycle of recidivism,' said Ong. 'As a way to reintegrate, right, and to make new friends.' 'As an ex-offender myself, I understand that (breaking) a habit is very difficult. You can't just say 'I quit' or 'I stopped.' You need to replace a bad habit with a good habit.' Besides giving members a sense of belonging and an outlet to release stress through sports, Break the Cycle has also helped ex-offenders struggling to get back on their feet. Bernard Lim, a former drug addict, recalled how the interest group helped him when he struggled to land a skilled job after leaving a halfway house. Besides sponsoring him for upgrading courses to become a specialised mechanic in Brompton bicycles, Break the Cycle also connected Lim to his current employer. 'That gradually helped me to move away from my old addictions,' said Lim.
Press and Journal
01-05-2025
- Press and Journal
The Britoil Scandal: Detectives embark on a quest across Europe in a bid to get their man
Alison Anders and Roy Allen were behind bars, serving time for attempting to defraud Aberdeen oil firm Britoil out of £23m – but the case was not yet over. Because, during the trial, it emerged that Anders had alleged a 38-year-old Albanian man with friends in high places had arranged for a Swiss bank account to be opened as part of the scam. She also claimed that this man, Hajdin Sejdija, had ordered someone to take her out into the desert and threaten her. It was an audacious claim. So audacious, in fact, that many of those involved in the trial thought it could not possibly be true. 'I suspect my view at the time was that this is just a lot of lies,' said Crown prosecutor Lord Uist, who was then known as Roderick Macdonald KC. There was only one problem – Anders' story had merit. Sure, it was an outrageous tale – but there was a real likelihood it was credible. It was about to send Grampian Police down a rabbit hole with a plot line straight out of a Hollywood thriller. Anders' sensational yarn would lead to Aberdeen detectives into the realm of Albanian moneymen who had links to the Abu Dhabi royal family, a French millionaire antiques dealer and Swiss police. Detective Constable Hamish Moir said: 'We were delighted with the convictions and the sentences of Alison Anders and Roy Allen – but it wasn't finished. 'There was frustration in as much that Hajdin Sejdija hadn't been brought to justice. 'Given there was an allegation he had set up the account and threatened Alison Anders – and may well have orchestrated the whole thing, he had a case to answer.' One thing that still bothered DC Moir and his colleagues was how had Anders managed to afford the flights from Abu Dhabi to America, and what happened during her time in the Middle East? She was a lowly paid administration worker at Britoil who would struggle to pay for round-the-world flights – and yet somehow afforded the airfare from Aberdeen to Abu Dhabi, and then to Canada and, ultimately, Oregon. Police were about to explore another lead that would give them their answer. When detectives found letters taped to the underside of Roy Allen's desk drawer at the office in South Silver Street, Aberdeen, they discovered Anders had been writing to Roy Allen when she was in the US. But those letters also revealed that Anders had been writing to someone else. And that gave detectives a new lead. DC Moir said: 'In her letter to Roy, Alison mentioned she had written to her brother Richard, who lived in Norfolk. 'I went down with Inspector Dave Smith to Norwich to speak with Richard, who was 28 at the time. 'Richard was a nice guy – but he denied any knowledge of the letter Alison had written to him. 'We said 'look, your sister is up s*** creek – don't get yourself in trouble by withholding evidence. 'We're staying at this hotel with a pub attached to it. If you want to come along and have a pint tonight, you're welcome'.' The two officers were standing in the hotel bar's games room that evening, enjoying a game of pool when they were greeted by a familiar face – Richard. 'He appeared at the pub and said 'can I have a word? Here's the letter'.' As the two detectives sat down to read the letter over a pint, they realised it was dynamite. Not only did Anders directly implicate Roy Allen in the fraud – leaving them with little chance of evading conviction – it also implicated other mysterious parties outside of the relatively pedestrian world of the Aberdeen oil community. Anders wrote that Roy Allen had allegedly concocted the plan for the fraud with a man named Hajdin Sejdija. She claimed that, when it all went wrong and she arrived in Abu Dhabi, Mr Sejdija had accused her of double-crossing him. Anders wrote: 'Sejdija believed we had not gone through with the transfer or had transferred the money somewhere else using him as a (decoy). 'What precisely were we doing in Abu Dhabi if Roy and I had double-crossed him? That did not appear to be a question that occurred to him.' Reading this, the detectives were mystified. Who was Hajdin Sejdija? They would soon find out. A multi-millionaire wheeler-dealer in his native country, Mr Sejdija became a close ally of those within the Abu Dhabi royal family after he married a princess from the Emirates. Even today, Mr Sejdija boasts of his business acumen and of rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebrities such as Cindy Crawford. Grampian Police wanted to speak with Mr Sejdija, but there was an 'international relations' problem. Because Mr Sejdija was so well connected with the Abu Dhabi royal family, the local police would not play ball with their Aberdeen counterparts. DC Moir said: 'Sejdija's name had come up several times. We thought 'who is this guy?'. 'We had made various requests to the police in Abu Dhabi to carry out inquiries and they just ignored them. 'So one day I'm in the canteen at Queen Street Station in Aberdeen and a phone call arrives. 'The voice says 'hello, it's Hajdin Sejdija'. I thought 'somebody is winding me up'.' But it was a legitimate call – and the two men arranged to meet at New Scotland Yard in London 24 hours later. DC Moir said: 'I was thinking this guy must have some resources to drop everything, jump on a plane and fly to London. 'The next day, Sejdija turned up, right from Heathrow and we interviewed him. 'His English was perfect. He spoke six languages. He was Albanian and explained that he worked for a sheikh. 'There was a claim he had married a princess within the Abu Dhabi royal family. 'He told us a story about buying this art collection and claimed he had no involvement in the fraud. 'Sejdija was clearly a guy who was used to clicking his fingers and getting things done. 'He was such an arrogant individual that he thought we would just believe him.' Expressing his opinion at the time, DC Moir said: 'I told Sejdija 'I don't believe a word you're speaking – you're speaking a lot of s***e'. I got quite vocal with him. 'As a detective, you're used to sitting in interview rooms with people denying things and you know they are lying through their teeth. 'He went away.' But one thing the investigators knew was that the £23m Britoil funds were supposed to be channelled through a Swiss bank account. Again, 'international relations' were a barrier, as it was common for Swiss financial institutions to protect clients even when the police came knocking at their door. DC Moir said: 'But eventually they gave us information about the account where the Britoil millions had been headed. 'It had been opened by a man named Philippe Perrault.' Mr Perrault, who was 53 at the time, was a millionaire antiques and art collector hailing from the picturesque French town of Chartres, 60 miles outside of Paris. Grampian Police arranged to visit him. 'Via Interpol, we set up a meeting with him. Myself and Detective Sergeant Peter Willox went out,' said DC Moir. He added: 'Right at the outset, our thought was, 'who owns this bank account? How was it set up? How did it play a role in facilitating this crime?' 'This was part of that process. 'We flew to Paris and a guy there from the Financial Judiciary met us. 'They were having lunch in their headquarters – a fancy French building. 'You could have steak, you got a jug of wine with your lunch and then you got a brandy with dessert. 'Normally, we had sloppy sausage and mash at Queen Street. 'We were thinking, 'this French system is the way to go'. 'We went to see an examining magistrate in Chartres – a guy in a Lacoste t-shirt and blazer and he set up the interview with Philippe. 'The next day, he came into see us.' Again, a familiar name came up. DC Moir said: 'Mr Perrault told us Hajdin Sejdija was a business associate of his in Abu Dhabi. 'Sejdija had been interested in buying his art collection for £12m but to do that he needed a bank account set up. 'The claim was that Sejdija had suggested Mr Perrault should set up this bank account. 'During that meeting, Mr Perrault produced a video of his art collection. He knew what he was going to say to us. 'He was clearly quite a wealthy individual. 'All we really needed was him to say who told him to open this account. 'He said 'Hajdin Sejdija' – and that was our link.' And there was more. Grampian Police got a helping hand from Bucksburn woman Jill Ruddell, who had conducted business in Abu Dhabi. She knew a man named Omar Hammoud and arranged for police to speak with him in Aberdeen. Omar Hammoud was the right-hand man of Hajdin Sejdija in Abu Dhabi. Hammoud was his enforcer who would carry out instructions to the letter. The team of Aberdeen detectives were able to learn that, after Alison Anders had fled from the Granite City in the days following the fraud, she had a terrifying encounter with Hammoud. This was in the wake of Hajdin Sejdija getting angry because he believed Anders had double-crossed him and pocketed the £23m Britoil fraud proceeds. It was alleged Hajdin Sejdija wanted to send a clear message to Anders that he was not to be messed with. DC Moir said: 'Alison claimed Omar Hammoud took her out to the desert and pointed out where she would be buried if it turned out she double-crossed Sejdija. 'Hammoud admitted this happened, because he's been told to by Sejdija (to do it). 'My feeling was, it was 100% true. You know when you're taking statements from people if they're being genuine.' This new evidence completed the jigsaw puzzle for police. They now knew that, while Alison Anders and Roy Allen had concocted the £23m fraud, there were others involved. It seemed to them that Albanian moneyman Hajdin Sejdija had helped the Aberdeen pair set up the Swiss bank account where the Britoil funds would be channelled, so he could get a share of the spoils. Grampian Police knew they could, at least, issue a red notice through Interpol. This would, in theory, lead to Mr Sejdija being arrested if he stepped foot in Europe. Their hopes were slim, however, knowing his connections could get Sejdija off the hook. And that was if Sejdija even dared to set foot on European soil again. DC Moir said: 'We get a warrant granted for Hajdin Sejdija's arrest. 'He was based in Abu Dhabi, so it was sent via Interpol and it was totally ignored. 'Sejdija worked for the sheikh – he determines what happens. He is in charge.' But one day, Sejdija did indeed venture into Europe. The wheeler-dealer turned up in Switzerland, triggering the Interpol red notice. DC Moir got the call he had been waiting for on January 25 1990. 'Out of the blue, we got a call from the Swiss Police to say they have arrested him, as he has a house in Lugano in Switzerland,' said DC Moir. 'So DCI Bryan Bryce and I went to meet Sejdija in Zurich and we took him back to Aberdeen. 'They handed him over to us at the airport and we flew to London and then to Aberdeen.' The tables had turned – and it all led up to a final showdown that gripped the Granite City.
Press and Journal
30-04-2025
- Press and Journal
The Britoil Scandal: Tapped phones, an FBI sting and a media frenzy in Aberdeen
It was that sliver of paper, peaking out of the wallet of fraud suspect Roy Allen, that first brought Oregon, USA, into the frame for Aberdeen detectives. So what did it all mean? It later became clear that Alison Anders had fled justice in Aberdeen in June 1988 for Abu Dhabi – and then upped sticks once more. In August 1988, Anders left Abu Dhabi and flew to Singapore and then onwards to Vancouver in Canada. She then took a Greyhound bus and ended up in Portland, Oregon. The 30-year-old had travelled across the world and was now alone, with no support and little money. She had to think fast. Anders' first move was to buy a copy of the Oregonian newspaper and scan the 'wanted' ads – and there she saw a room to rent. That room was being let by hairdresser Carinda Bohus, who has shared her story for this series for the first time. Now living in Anchorage, Alaska, Ms Bohus told us: 'I placed an ad in the paper for the room for rent and Alison answered it.' On the run, Anders knew she had to keep her wits about her as one false move might lead to her arrest. The fugitive knew that Ms Bohus might ask for her passport for ID when renting out the room and it had to match the name she gave. And so Alison introduced herself to Ms Bohus as Ann. Ms Bohus added: 'We didn't know her as Alison – to us she was always Ann. 'My first impressions – she had a nice accent and she seemed like she would pay the rent. It was a real nice situation. 'She was real nice to get along with and real smart.' Anders settled in to her new surroundings quickly. She and Ms Bohus became friends. They would attend rock concerts together and Anders showed her caring side. Ms Bohus said: 'I was taking a math class at the community college. I'd always been bad at math. 'Alison's parents were teachers so she tutored me and I got an A in math for the first time in my life. That was real nice of her.' Ms Bohus took a shine to Anders and got her two jobs in downtown Portland. One was taking payments at the restaurant that Ms Bohus's father, Frank, owned, while the other was working at a florist. That florists was Jacobsen's – named after Ms Bohus's auntie, Patricia Jacobsen. Frank, whose family are of Hungarian heritage, said: 'Alison would work in the restaurant on Saturdays and Sundays. 'She was running the cash register. It was a truck-stop restaurant. 'Alison was a very trustable person, as far as we were concerned.' Anders had arrived in Portland in August 1988 – and had become a regular fixture in the Bohus household within weeks. 'She spent Thanksgiving with us that November and often visited us. 'To us, she just behaved like an average girl.' It was from the florist that Alison Anders had been making secret phone calls to her lover, Roy Allen, back in Aberdeen during her time on the run. And, when anyone except Roy would pick up, she would say: 'It's Ann calling for Roy.' By the time autumn 1988 rolled around, the emotional weight of the situation had begun to take its toll on Anders. She had been out of the UK and away from all that she held dear for around four months, with her future lifeplan – and liberty – up in the air. Anders had been living a lie for so long – and she could keep it to herself no longer. The fugitive had formed a strong bond with Ms Bohus – and, with a touch of bravado about her, it was time for Alison Anders to come clean. Anders trusted Ms Bohus enough with her bombshell secret to explain why a married man from Scotland kept calling. Ms Bohus said: 'She told me what she did (about the attempt to steal £23m from Britoil in Aberdeen). I didn't believe her.' After that monumental confession, the stakes got higher. Anders received a frantic phone call from someone back home to let her know her mugshot had just been put on Crimewatch. Panicking, Anders told Ms Bohus that her face had just been broadcast on a TV show watched by about 14 million people. Not that Ms Bohus had heard of Crimewatch, living in the USA. 'We understand that this show was like American's Most Wanted or something,' said Ms Bohus. She added: 'I told my older sister (about Anders featuring on Crimewatch). 'My sister said 'oh my God, that explains all her cloak-and-dagger phone calls'. 'And then I thought 'well, if my older sister believes it then perhaps (Alison) wasn't lying. Maybe she really did try to steal all that money'. 'I started to believe her and I started to get afraid that, if I left knives around, she was going to kill me.' She was a really arrogant individual. She was aloof, as though she was above all this.' DC Moir on Alison Anders Ms Bohus felt torn between feeling deceived by Anders, even scared of her, and wanting to help her evade capture. She told us: 'I was a hairdresser so Alison wanted to take her hair from black to blonde.' Perhaps if Anders looked different to her Crimwatch appeal image, she might stay under the radar. So Ms Bohus helped Anders change her appearance. But what upset Ms Bohus most was the lie Anders told her about why she first ended up in the US. Anders had previously told Ms Bohus she emigrated because her parents died – a false story. Ms Bohus said: 'When Alison told me the real story, I was most mad about her saying that her parents had died because I felt so bad for her and her parents hadn't died at all. 'Alison told me that she mostly did the fraud for Roy Allen – that she wouldn't have done it otherwise. 'I told her that I liked the name Alison better than Ann, anyway. 'We talked about the phone calls she was getting from back home. 'I said 'boy, do you not watch TV? If you did what you say you did, they're going to have our phone bugged – which they did'. Ms Bohus added: 'I said 'if you watch (those crime dramas) on TV, you're going to get caught. It's going to happen, sooner or later'.' Detective Constable Hamish Moir, who was then based at Queen Street Station in Aberdeen, said: 'We had found a phone number on a sliver of paper in Roy Allen's wallet. 'It was a US number, for a flower shop in Oregon. 'Once we had figured out where the phone number connected, we got the FBI involved. 'They went and carried out surveillance on the place – and saw Anders. 'The FBI got into her apartment and got hold of her passport, which had the name Ann Glenda Kellick.' At last – a smoking gun. Word filtered back to Aberdeen that their FBI counterparts had not only verified The Day of the Jackal passport-fraud story – but also tracked down Alison Anders herself. FBI special agents found Ms Bohus and gathered information that would help them finally take down Alison Anders. Ms Bohus said: 'Scotland Yard got me at my community college. 'The story was so crazy that I thought they were kidding and that it was the drama department playing a prank. 'When I saw they were following me home, I knew they were serious. 'By then, Alison had already moved into somebody else's place.' It was at that point that the FBI struck a deal with the Bohus family, who were concerned business would suffer if people saw Anders arrested there. We can reveal that special agents agreed that, in exchange for information from the Bohus family, they would arrest Anders elsewhere. Ms Bohus said: 'I said 'please, don't get her at my aunt's shop because my aunt has a very respectable shop'. 'So I said 'Alison catches the bus'. 'The FBI said 'for you, and your aunt, we're going to get her at the bus stop when she gets off work. Don't call her'. 'They did that for me. They had also met my aunt and they wanted to be nice to her too.' Everything was in place. The FBI was going to finally take Alison Anders down. It was May 18 1989 – almost 11 months since the failed fraud and nine months since Anders had arrived in the US. At 2.40pm, Anders finished her shift at the florist and made her way to the bus stop nearby. Just like a Hollywood movie, FBI special agent James Russell and his colleagues moved in and held Anders at gunpoint while she fiddled in her purse for her bus fare. She was arrested – and police found in her possession a passport bearing the name Ann Killick. Mr Bohus, who had given Anders a job at the truck-stop restaurant, said he had no idea about Anders' criminality. And so he was shocked by the arrest. He told us: 'Jodie – my wife's niece – was working at the florist's at the time and the FBI arrested Alison outside. 'Jodie said 'we couldn't believe it'.' 'The FBI told Jodie nothing. 'We found out the next day what had happened by reading the paper. 'When I read it, I just about fainted. We didn't know what to make of it.' Those familiar with the case claim Anders was relieved her life on the run was over. She was missing her lover, Roy Allen, and was tired of the constant lies. Anders was close with a Portland pastry chef named Brad Smith and there were media reports they were a couple. After her arrest, Mr Smith told the media he and Anders had been planning to get married and he only discovered Anders' real identity when she called him from custody, asking him to bring some of her belongings. Mr Smith said that, despite that, he would be willing to give things another go. Ms Bohus said: 'Brad was gay. They were just friends. 'Maybe they were going to get married (for visa reasons), but he was gay.' Anders appeared before US magistrate George Juba and waived her right to an extradition hearing. DC Moir said: 'Most people did, because all they would be doing is prolonging their time in an American jail.' Anders was flown back to London and was met by DI Bryan Bryce and DC Ann Allan, of Grampian Police, at Heathrow Airport. Her arrival back on Scottish soil generated a media frenzy. Every newspaper around published reports of the £23m oil money plot formed over a game of bridge, with photographers battling for the best place to get a photo of the returning fugitive. The Sun described her as a 'flame-haired yuppie' as she was photographed wearing a shoulder-padded coat, such was the style at the time. DC Moir told us: 'When Alison came back, I read the warrant to her. 'She was a really arrogant individual. She was aloof, as though she was above all this.' On June 12 1989 – three weeks after her dramatic FBI arrest – Anders appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. It took another 10 weeks for prosecutors to get to trial. Anders and Allen stood trial at the High Court in Aberdeen on August 28 1989, almost three months after she returned from the US. Representing the Crown was Roderick Macdonald KC, who later became a High Court judge with the title, Lord Uist. Jack Davidson KC defended Anders. Both of them spoke for this series. Mr Davidson said: 'My overall impression was that it was quite a breathtaking scheme which, but for one fatal flaw, let Anders and Allen down and put the authorities on their tracks. 'It was quite a chain of events that led to the court case.' He added: 'Alison wasn't easy to warm to. She seemed pretty stoical. 'I never got the impression she was particularly worried about having her crimes aired in public. 'This was all new to her and these were serious charges hanging over her. 'You wouldn't expect her to be providing entertainment in the course of conversation, but she was fairly pleasant.' Lord Uist told us: 'It was obvious it was going to be a high-profile case, but that never influences how you approach the case. 'It was at Aberdeen High Court. 'Back then, the High Court sat in a room that was colloquially known as The Turkish Brothel below the library in the Sheriff Court. 'It got its name because of the garish, purplish wallpaper. 'It's not spacious but it's not tiny. You always get the pigeons coming down in the afternoon and settling outside the window.' And, while there were elements of drama in the courtroom, the trial itself was a damp squib. Anders and Allen were accused of forming a fraudulent scheme to defraud Britoil of £23,331,996. The indictment alleged that, between June 28 and 29 1988 – the year before the trial – Anders and Allen acted with others and tried to transfer money from a Britoil account to an account in a Geneva bank, using a forged international payment application. Anders was also accused of obtaining a false British passport in the name of Ann Glenda Killick. On Day one, Anders wanted to plead guilty to the charges against her. Mr Davidson said: 'It was a classic circumstantial case – a little evidence from different sources, which came together to form a pretty compelling picture to which there was really no answer. 'You can live in fantasy land and say 'you never know with a jury' – but she was done out of the park and she accepted it pretty readily. 'It was the biggest attempted fraud in Scottish legal history. 'She must have realised there's not terribly much meaningful you can say to minimise that, other than she has held her hands up and cooperated. 'Maybe she thought 'the game is well and truly up, I might as well get this over and done with, serve my time and get on with the rest of my life'. 'She was quite intelligent. 'She was switched on and probably realistic in terms of what she was going to expect in court.' Lord Uist said: 'Alison Anders had written some annotation on the money transfer application on the day she went into the bank to try to get the £23m. 'She could well have succeeded had she not written that on the cheque. That was her downfall.' But there was a problem. While Anders was willing to admit her guilt, her co-accused Roy Allen was not. This was despite there being evidence of him forging signatures on the passport and of not telling police he knew where Anders was for months while speaking to her on the phone. Mr Davidson said: 'I don't think Anders was terribly impressed by the fact that her co-accused was going to trial.' That meant Lord Uist, for the Crown, had a good reason to not accept her plea. He added: 'Roy Allen had not pleaded guilty. 'In order to lead the evidence, for it to make sense to the jury – I would be required to lead the evidence against them both, because his conviction would hang on hers. 'It would be possible to do it without her there but, from the jury's point of view, it would look very odd. 'It would be like watching a play without a key actor.' The court heard two days of evidence that established Anders had come up with the plan. The jury was also told Anders obtained a false passport using Ann Killick's identity, booked a flight abroad and tried to transfer the £23m. An image began to emerge in the minds of the jurors of the worldwide adventure that Anders had been on in the previous year or so – all under the name of a dead schoolgirl. Then, on day three, the prosecution accepted Anders' guilty plea, leaving Roy Allen as the only person on trial. Anders gave evidence for the Crown – as did Roy's estranged wife, now Megan Nance. Mrs Nance told the court the first she knew about the fraud was when she saw it on TV news. She told the court: 'I rang Roy, who was in Abu Dhabi, and said 'Guess what, your bridge partner has tried to rip off Britoil for £23m.' Then, when he returned to Aberdeen, Mrs Nance accused him of having an affair with Anders. According to Mrs Nance, Allen denied the affair and said he was only involved with the fraud because he was set to get £5m from it. She told the court Allen moved out of the property six months after the fraud, in December 1988. Allen's defence team tried to argue he had been pressured into participating in the fraud by people threatening his children. DC Moir gave evidence to deny this and the judge, Lord Morton, threw out that defence. After the trial, DC Moir told us: 'After we matched his handwriting to the forged passport, Allen said 'I want to speak to you in prison – at Craiginches'. 'He admitted limited involvement and said he had been coerced by people and they had threatened his family. 'But there were no specifics. It was just bull***. The game was up for him.' The trial ended after five days and the jury retired for the weekend. When they came back on the following Monday, they took just 44 minutes to deliberate and return a guilty verdict for Roy Allen. Mr Davidson said: 'Even though the weekend intervened, 44 minutes is pretty rapid for a jury's verdict, particularly given the scale of the case. 'I guess with the judge withdrawing coercion from consideration, that was more or less the kiss of death for the co-accused defence. 'We used to think – juries would not come back within 15 minutes because they have to make it seem respectful.' Lord Uist added: 'There were no gasps or anything in court. People thought it was a foregone conclusion.' Lord Morton jailed Anders and Allen for five years, though Anders' sentence was later reduced to four years on appeal. Mr Davidson said: 'The two of them were in it up to their necks. 'She was very much a central part of the whole exercise. 'If she had been given seven years it would have been hard to say 'we must appeal that because it's too much'. 'It was a fairly bare-faced challenge to the banking system with overtones of foreign parties and suggestions of international crime links. 'Five years is still an appreciable term, in the grand scheme of things. It's a lot more than a slap on the wrist.' Lord Uist added: 'There was no sympathy at all for them. 'There was nothing romantic about it in the eyes of the public. It was straightforward greed. 'The accused were regarded as selfish people who were out to get money. 'They were not painted as a Bonnie and Clyde couple.' Though the Crown had secured two important convictions, the case was far from over. For, during the trial, one name kept popping up – Hajdin Sejdija. It was a name that would once again pique the interest of Aberdeen detectives on a quest to crack the case.
